CDC: 4,000 U.S. deaths by swine flu

ATLANTA — Federal health officials now say that 4,000 or more Americans likely have died from swine flu — about four times the estimate they’ve been using.

The new, higher figure was first reported by The New York Times. It includes deaths caused by complications related to swine flu, including pneumonia and bacterial infections.

Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had conservatively put the U.S. swine flu death count at more than 1,000. Officials said this week they’re working on an even more accurate calculation.

Stench returns near Ohio property that held bodies

CLEVELAND — A stench around the home of a suspected serial killer returned stronger than ever Wednesday as police searched the house next door for more bodies and carried out bags of evidence.

“It’s like it got worse,” said 22-year-old neighbor Terrance Johnson. “It smells bad in the air, like death.”

The 50-year-old Sowell has been charged with five counts of murder.

Five in family charged with sex crimes against children

LEXINGTON, Mo. — Authorities on Wednesday were searching a rural property in western Missouri for bodies and buried glass jars containing notes written more than 15 years ago by children who may have documented sexual abuse by five members of their own family.

Lafayette County Sheriff Kerrick Alumbaugh said, “There has been an indication that there are body or bodies in numerous locations.”

The five men were arrested Tuesday and are charged with several felonies, including forcible sodomy, rape with a child younger than 12 and use of a child in a sexual performance. The allegations, which include bestiality and forcing an 11-year-old to have an abortion, date from 1988 to 1995.

Commentator Lou Dobbs says he is leaving CNN

NEW YORK — CNN host Lou Dobbs says he is leaving CNN effective immediately.

The longtime host of “Lou Dobbs Tonight” said Wednesday on his show that it would be his last. He said CNN had allowed him to be released from his contact, which would enable him “to pursue new opportunities.”

The longest-running anchor on CNN’s air, Dobbs was one of the nation’s leading financial journalists before turning his program in a more opinionated direction.

Calif. man charged with wearing unearned medals

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A Palm Springs man who was never in the military has been charged with wearing the Navy’s highest honor.

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles say 39-year-old Steven Burton was photographed wearing the Navy Cross along with the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and other medals.

The U.S. attorney’s office said Wednesday that a Navy commander attending her high school reunion noticed Burton wearing a Marine uniform with the medals and contacted the FBI.

Authorities say Burton claimed in Internet postings that he’d served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He’s expected to surrender today to face a charge of unauthorized wearing of military medals and could face up to a year in federal prison if convicted.

Ex-Lockheed engineer claims F-22 skin ‘defective’

ATLANTA — A former engineer for defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. claims in a federal lawsuit that the company knowingly used “defective” stealth coatings when building its F-22 Raptor jets.

Darrol Olsen claims Lockheed had “falsely certified” the coatings between 1995 and 1999, saying they had passed stealth tests, and concealed test results that showed otherwise. Lockheed says the allegations have no merit and it will “vigorously defend this matter in court.”

Jury convicts Ark. man in death of TV anchorwoman

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A man was convicted of capital murder Wednesday for beating an Arkansas TV anchorwoman so brutally that her face was shattered and she never regained consciousness before dying five days later.

Curtis Lavelle Vance could face the death penalty for the assault on Anne Pressly. The same jury that convicted him reconvened to hear testimony about whether he should be put to death or imprisoned without the possibility of parole.

Vance, 29, of Marianna, was also convicted of residential burglary along with rape and theft of property in the Oct. 20, 2008, attack.

— Herald wire services